Nothing in the World
by EmeraldGem
Summary: A HC story, loosely based on the song "Nothing in the World" by Atomic Kitten. Calleigh confronts her feelings for Horatio, but what will his decision be?
1. Tears in the Night

~Nothing in the World~  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't intend to make any profit with this. CSI:Miami and its characters belong to the geniuses who created the show. Would that were me, though. "Nothing in the World" belongs to Atomic Kitten.  
  
Rating: PG-13, just to be safe  
  
Pairing: H/C  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
A/N: This is the first fanfic that I have written by myself, so don't expect too much. It is losely based on the song "Nothing in the World" by Atomic Kitten. I hope you like, so please R&R. I apologise for the fact that the first chapter is mostly thoughts and feelings and less action. That's how the story got started though.  
  
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With a loud noice the clear crystal glass shattered on the marble kitchen floor and broke apart into a million pieces. Just like her heart had earlier. The ice-cubes slid across the room, before they came to a halt at Calleigh's feet. She stared at the wall and watched the amber liquid trickle down the tiles towards the ground.  
  
Momentarily shocked by her reaction, given that she had just thrown the glass full force across the room, she dropped to her knees and began picking up the pieces. Distracted as she was, she didn't really concentrate on the task, images and voices of the past hours were still spinning in her head, and when she picked up the last piece she cut her finger. She felt a sharp pain and and crimson drops of blood mixed with the alcohol on the tiles.  
  
Calleigh sighed heavily and walked to the bathroom, where she opened the medicine cabinet to get a band-aid for her finger.  
  
"At least the cut isn't deep", she thought, tears filling her eyes again, when she thought about a different kind of pain she had experienced that day.  
  
She returned to the kitchen, but stopped at the door and went into the living room instead. She fell back into her antique wing-back chair of deep burgundy leather and picked up the phone, just to put it down seconds later without having dialed a number.  
  
Never before had she felt emotionally torn and confused like this. She was proud that she had resisted the temptation of the alcohol, the few hours of oblivion that it promised, but she was still unable to comprehend how anything could have triggered her outburst earlier that evening.  
  
"What's wrong with me?", she asked out loud. "I have never hurled a glass across the room, just because I had a bad day."  
  
And it had been a bad day for her indeed.  
  
The CSI Team had been forced to release a suspect in a murder case from custody, because they couldn't find enough incriminating evidence to warrant any further interrogation or jail time. Needless to say the mood at headquarters had been grave today.  
  
But what had been even worse for Calleigh was the scene she had involuntarily witnessed when she was leaving the building. On her way to her car she had seen Horatio and Yelina in the parking garage, holding each other in a tight embrace.  
  
This had been too much to bear for her. With tears in her eyes she had driven home. Luckily, no one had seen her. All her feelings for Horatio had suddenly come to the surface; feelings she thought she had dealt with and had under control. Being completely honest with herself she knew this wasn't true. Her relationship with Hagen had ended in pieces just a few weeks earlier and now Calleigh had to admit to herself that no matter how much she fought it, she did love Horatio, but apparently she would have to live with her heart broken by unrequitted love.  
  
Horatio seemed to be happy with Yelina. 


	2. Early Dawn, New Morning

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't intend to make any profit with this. CSI:Miami and its characters belong to the geniuses who created the show. Would that were me, though. "Nothing in the World" belongs to Atomic Kitten.  
  
Rating: PG-13, just to be safe  
  
Pairing: H/C  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
A/N: Here is the second part to the story. It's short I know, but the story will pick up some speed soon.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
i"Sometimes it feels like we're not anchored anywhere"/i  
  
Hours later, Calleigh had finally cried herself to sleep, giving in to the exhaustion and the pressure of her emotional baggage that the day had added. Still, her sleep was haunted by dreams about Horatio. For the few hours that she managed to close her eyes, she was plagued by the images of the day before.  
  
When she woke up at five-thirty she felt like she hadn't slept at all.  
  
Slowly she crawled out of bed, knowing that her alarm clock would ring in an hour anyway and there was no way that she would fall asleep again. She went to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee and while she waited for the machine to finish, she contemplated calling in sick for work. In the end she decided against it, what difference would it make, took her coffee and went out on the balcony to watch the sun rise over Miami.  
  
Looking out into the pearly dawn Calleigh saw the sun slowly climb up over the horizon, basking the city in a warm, golden glow. A little while later she finished her coffee, diverted her eyes from the beauty of the sunrise, showered and got ready for work; ready to face Horatio and possibly Yelina.  
  
Her cell phone rang just as she walk out her front door.  
  
"Duquesne!", she said, sounding harsher than she had intended.  
  
"Calleigh, we just got a call to a crime scene. 1210 Bay Park Lane. Can you meet us there?"  
  
In the early morning Tim sounded even grumpier than she did and for a moment Calleigh smiled and it seemed that the day had just gotten a little brighter.  
  
"Sure, I'll be there in twenty minutes. What happened?", she asked.  
  
"We don't really know yet. A neighbor heard multiple gunshots from the house next door. The police are there, but we haven't heard what they found inside yet. We're on our way there. ", Speed told her.  
  
"Make that fifteen minutes. I'll meet you there as soon as possible!", Calleigh stated and hung up.  
  
Not knowing what they were going to find at the crime scene, she started the car and headed out into Miami morning traffic, her own problems momentarily forgotten. 


	3. Talk to Me

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't intend to make any profit with this. CSI:Miami and its characters belong to the geniuses who created the show. Would that were me, though. "Nothing in the World" belongs to Atomic Kitten.  
  
Rating: PG-13, just to be safe  
  
Pairing: H/C  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
A/N: Part 3 is up! And some crime scene work along with it. I have no forensic knowledge whatsoever besides the stuff I gathered watching CSI and CSI:M, so if there are any mistakes, I apologize for them. By the way I have never been to Miami so all the descriptions are made up. Have fun reading and please send reviews! Oh, and if someone could tell me how to insert bold print, I would be forever grateful.  
  
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b"And it seems the little things get in the way. We're so caught up in routine from day to day..."/b  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Calleigh arrived at the crime scene exactly twelve minutes and forty-seven seconds later.  
  
The house the CSIs had been called to, was located in a fairly affluent neighborhood protected by gates. Bay Park Lane was a tree lined street with wide sidewalks and the houses, whose prices Calleigh figured, were somewhere in the half-million Dollar range, all had perfectly landscaped front yards. Each property was about an acre in size.  
  
Except for three police cars and an ambulance there were no other vehicles present and Calleigh realized that she had beaten the rest of the team here.  
  
She had just parked her car when two Hummers with the CSI crest rounded the corner and pulled up next to her.  
  
Eric and Tim had driven here together, but Calleigh was relieved to see that Horatio was alone. Yelina was nowhere in sight. She took a deep breath and walked over to her colleagues. They all exchanged a short good-morning, then Horatio walked across the street towards the two police officers gurading the crime scene. Calleigh, Tim and Eric got their field kits and followed him to the house.  
  
"Horatio Caine, CSI", he introduced himself to the officers. "What do we have?"  
  
"Neighbor heard gunshots about an hour ago and called 911", one of them answered. "Two patrol cars and the ambulance got here at the same time. We secured the property, found two bodies inside. Paramedics couldn't do anything. We checked, but there was no one else in the house or on the property. We were waiting for you guys to get here."  
  
"Thanks! Is Detective Salas here yet?", Horatio aksed.  
  
"She's out back Lieutenant."  
  
Calleigh tried not to cringe visibly at the mention of Yelina's name and forced herself to focus on the case instead. She could not allow herself to be preoccupied with her own problems at this moment. The victims deserved that she gave her best. They deserved justice.  
  
Horatio's voice brought her back to reality.  
  
"Let's find out what happened!", he said and entered the house without any further comment.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
When Calleigh stepped inside, it took her a moment to adjust to the darkness inside the entryway. The blinds had been drawn shut, so only a small amount of light filled the room. A narrow hallway ran down the length of the house and finally gave way to a large living room with an adjacent kitchen. The living room was filled with bright sunlight and for a second Calleigh was blinded by the sharp contrast to the dark hallway. The sliding glas door that led out to the patio was open, the white curtains blowig in the wind.  
  
So far, it seemed that nothing had been disturbed, there was no visible evidence of forced entry or a fight.  
  
The first body they discovered was sitting upright in a chair in the formal dining room next to the kitchen, the head resting on the solid oak table and blood dropping down from a wound to the back of the head  
  
The second victim lay face down behind one of the kitchen counters, a pool of blood forming underneath the body. Again, there seemed to be no evidence of stuggle.  
  
"Chris and Jamie Martin, the residents of the house. A couple without kids", one of the officers stated when Horatio asked if they knew who the victims were.  
  
Without touching the body at the table, Calleigh checked the head wound, noticing that it was the entrance wound of a bullet. She did not hear Alexx arrive, but only turned around when she heard Horatio speak again.  
  
"Speed, Eric. Check out the house for any kind of trace evidence. I want every single fiber, hair and all fingerprints that do not belong here!"  
  
He turned around to face Calleigh and then continued.  
  
"Calleigh, see if you can find a gun, casings or stray bullets. Then you're going back to CSI with Alexx. I want all the details about the bullets, tajectory and cause of death."  
  
Calleigh nodded. She had not expected a different assignment. Ballistics was her field of expertise. If there was anything about the bullets that would lead them to the answer of the crime, she'd find it. Again, she banned all other thoughts from her head and started to analyze the crime scene.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Back at CSI, Calleigh left the guns she had found in the garage of the house in the ballistic lab and went to the morgue to see if Alexx had anything on the bullets.  
  
When she entered the autopsy lab, Alexx just snapped her gloves off and handed Calleigh two trays, each containing a bullett.  
  
"Here, Calleigh. Both were still in the bodies. Did you find anything at the scene?"  
  
"Two handguns, but no casings and no stray bullets." Calleigh answered. "I'll see if those match one of the guns I found. Anything else?"  
  
"They were both shot at close range. Definitely not a double suicide. The killer intended maximum damage and they probaly knew who he was. They were dead in seconds."  
  
"Thanks Alexx. We'll find whoever did this!", she replied and left the room quickly.  
  
Alexx turned to look after her. There was something wrong with Calleigh, but Alexx couldn't quite determine what it was exactly that weighed on the mind of young woman. Even if she did ask Calleigh, she probably wouldn't talk about it.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Three hours later Calleigh had determined without a doubt that the bullets did not match either one of the guns she had found in the Martin residence. She recorded her findings in the file and left the ballistics lab to find Horatio, to tell him.  
  
When she got to his office, he was talking on the phone, but he motioned for her to come in and sit down.  
  
"Yes. I will be there. As soon as I get all the information. I will see you there."  
  
He put down the phone and looked up at Calleigh, smiling.  
  
"What do you have?", he asked her.  
  
She told him what she had found out about the bullets and what Alexx had told her earlier.  
  
After a pause she added: "Horatio, there is something else I wanted to talk to you about."  
  
"Sure, Calleigh. Why don't you stop by before you leave tonight. I need to talk to Speed and Eric still and I am meeting Yelina to talk to the some of the neighbors."  
  
He got up and put on his jacket. Slowly, Calleigh also rose to her feet. Again she had been hit by emotions she was barely able to control. She had wanted to talk to Horatio now, to finally get it over with, but instead she smiled at him and said:  
  
"Fine. I'll be here around five. See you then"  
  
Together they left his office, but walked down the hallway in different directions. 


	4. Like an open Book

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't intend to make any profit with this. CSI:Miami and its characters belong to the geniuses who created the show. Would that were me, though. "Nothing in the World" belongs to Atomic Kitten.  
  
Rating: PG-13, just to be safe  
  
Pairing: H/C  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
A/N: Here is chapter four, finally. This one is again rather quiet and introspective. Some of you might have noticed that I don't write action very well. Thanks for the reviews I have gotten so far. I'll keep writing. Please send more, I'd really like to know what you think of the story and what I could do better.  
  
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"It's been so long...I can't remember when... We didn't care how deep it was...we dived right in"  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Calleigh took a late lunchbreak that day. Whe she returned to the ballistics lab from her conversation with Horatio and found that there were no other cases to work or reports to file, she decided to leave the CSI- building to get some lunch and fresh air.  
  
She didn't even consider taking her car, but walked the few blocks to her favorite Italian restaurant instead.  
  
It was a gorgeous day in the city. The sun was shining brightly from a perfectly blue sky. Not a single cloud was visible and a slight breeze from the ocean kept the temperature from rising too high. Since the regular lunch hour had already ended, only a few people were out on the streets, traffics had died down to just a few cars in the city center and Miami seemed almost peaceful; a sharp contrast to Calleigh's inner turmoil.  
  
In the restaurant, she sat down at a table near the window with a view of the park across the street. From where she was sitting, Calleigh was able to see the kids playing near the fountain and various couples walking along the stone paths, holding hands and enjoying the day. Quickly, she looked away and forced herself to read the menu, even though she knew it by heart, since she came here a few times each week.  
  
There was a new waiter working that day and Calleigh was relieved that he didn't know her. This way, she would not have to answer any questions about work or her co-workers for that matter.  
  
Once, she had made, what seemed to her like a mistake, and had brought Horatio along and ever since then, everyone in the small, family-owned restaurant wanted to know what Horatio was up to and when she would bring him again. He had made quite an impression on them all.  
  
Still, all of them had seen what Calleigh was trying so hard to ignore and deny. They knew her well enough to know that she was in love with the man she worked for. Over the last few years, Calleigh had become part of their family, maybe they saw in her the daughter they never had. She was unable to hide anthing from these people. They were highly perceptive and Calleigh knew that she was like an open book for them.  
  
Finally, she put the menu down and ordered an unsweetened ice-tea, a bottle of water and Gnocci alla Sorrentina. Then she continued staring over to the park.  
  
When her food arrived, Calleigh realized that she really wasn't hungry. Everything that weighed on her mind, the decisions she would have to make, had taken taken it's toll on her, mentally and physically. She didn't sleep well lately and had lost weight, as much as she had lost her appetite. Still, she forced herself to eat, at least because her manners told her that it would be rather rude not to touch her lunch, but after she had finished about half of her meal, she wasn't able to eat anymore. She felt physically ill.  
  
She asked the waiter for the bill and when she paid it she added:  
  
"Would you please box the leftovers for me. I'm in a little bit of a hurry. And please tell Anna and Giovanni that I stopped by and said 'hi'."  
  
Before she could say anything else, the waiter smiled and replied:  
  
"Sure Miss Duquesne. Have a nice day."  
  
When Calleigh left the restaurant she wondered why the young man knew her name. Apparently the talk about her had not ceased yet.  
  
She crossed the street and entered the park; a quiet oasis within the city boundaries.  
  
At that moment, Calleigh decided to prolong her lunch break and spend some time outside. Maybe that would distract her a little. There was nothing to do for her at CSI anyway and she had her cell phone with her. If there was a new case the lab could always reach her.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Calleigh slowly wandered through the park, taking in her surroundings, wondering why she had never been here before. She could understand why so many people came to this place.  
  
A winding path led around a small lake and to other corners of the park. Various spanish-style fountains were set in the middle of little squares and the afternoon sun sparkled on the crystal clear water sending out rays of rainbow colors. The flowers were in full bloom at that time of the year and everywhere Calleigh turned, she was surrounded by a bright display of colors. A sweet and heavy scent hung in the air.  
  
Finally, she sat down on a bench at the lake shore and looked out on the water.  
  
She would have to leave soon to go and talk to Horatio.  
  
Calleigh knew that she had to do it, but she was also afraid of Horatio's reaction. Even if he didn't love her, he still cared enough about her to try everything to keep her from going through with what she had planned. After all, the CSI team was like a family.  
  
Calleigh planned to ask for a two week vacation. During that time she hoped to work out the problems that she had and was unable to deal with in Miami. She loved Horatio, but the fact that she was not the woman who shared his life made it increasingly difficult for Calleigh to work with him each and every day.  
  
This left her three simple choices.  
  
She could leave Miami without ever telling Horatio how she felt. She had gotten an offer from the Houston crime lab to head their ballistics unit, but somehow Calleigh felt that leaving like that would be like running away. And she wasn't the kind to run away.  
  
Still, it would be just as difficult to try and get over Horatio; to find someone else in her life. Calleigh wasn't entirely sure if she would be able to see him as just a friend and colleague.  
  
Lastly, she was still left with the choice to tell him how she really felt. She had no idea how she would do it, but to Calleigh it seemed to be her best option. Somewhere inside, she still kept the hope alive that Horatio might feel the same way. If that wasn't the case, she could still leave Miami knowing that at least she had honestly tried; had finally admitted to how she felt. Maybe she'd be able to move on with her life afterwards. Maybe.  
  
She would have two weeks to decide, but she planned on telling Horatio part of the truth today; that she was thinking about leaving Miami. He had a right to know. The unhappy ending of her relationship with Hagen would have to suffice as an explanation. She wasn't ready to tell Horatio her true reasons.  
  
Calleigh stayed in the park for a little while longer, hoping that it would calm her raging thoughts. Eventually, she looked at her watch, got up and left the park.  
  
Until she got back to the CSI building, she had to force herself to put one foot in front of the other. She was dreading the coversation she was about to have with Horatio. 


	5. Family Matters

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't intend to make any profit with this. CSI:Miami and its characters belong to the geniuses who created the show. Would that were me, though. "Nothing in the World" belongs to Atomic Kitten.  
  
Rating: PG-13, just to be safe  
  
Pairing: H/C  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
A/N: Chapter five, finally. Not much to say about it, but it sets the scene for the following chapters. Look for some major complications in the next chapter. And please send reviews! I am always happy to know what others think about the stories I write.  
  
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Calleigh entered the CSI building and walked straight towards Horatio's office. The people working on the day shift were slowly leaving and people from night shift took over the work stations. All around her everyone was talking about work, but also about politics, the weather, books and other things. Calleigh would have been more than happy to meet Horatio for some small talk as well, but what weighed on her mind was much more difficult to put into words.  
  
She had just passed the front desk when Amy, the recptionist, called her back.  
  
"Calleigh! Are you here to see Horatio?"  
  
"Yes. I was just on my way to his office. Why?"  
  
Amy took an envelope from her desk and handed it to Calleigh. Her name was written across the front in Horatio's fluid handwriting.  
  
"He left about half an hour ago. He told me to give this to you.", Amy added.  
  
"Do you know where he went?" If there had been no time for Horatio to call her it must have been urgent.  
  
"No, but it seemed to be important. He left rather quickly, but as far as I know, he wasn't called out on a case."  
  
"Thanks Amy. I'll see you later!", Calleigh said and walked down the hallway towards the ballistics lab.  
  
She closed the door behing her and opened the envelope. A single sheet of paper was inside. Written on it was a short note:  
  
_-Calleigh-  
  
Ray, my nephew, broke his arm at school this afternoon. Yelina has been out of town all day, so they called me to pick him up and take him to the hospital. I hope our conversation can wait until tomorrow. I am sorry. If you need to talk about it today, give me a call and we'll work something out. Yelina should be back tonight.  
  
-Horatio-  
_  
Calleigh decided to call Horatio even though she had no intention to tell him about her decision over the phone. She dialed his number, but the mailbox picked up immediately. Calleigh hesitated for a few seconds, before she left a short message, telling Horatio that she hoped Ray jr. was doing better and that she would talk to him tomorrow. He didn't need to worry about her.  
  
There was no way she would meet him tonight. His family was his first priority and although Calleigh did not particularly like Yelina, she respected that. Family always came first and she wouldn't distract him tonight.  
  
Horatio had done the same thing for her as well. Everytime Calleigh had to go to pick up her father from a bar, Horatio had always let her go. He had never asked where she went, but somehow Calleigh was sure that he knew or at least had an idea what was going on. Still, she was thankful that he had never tried to bring up the subject when talking to her. It was hard for Calleigh to share what she had already gone through with her father. He would never change and it was hard for her to accept that.  
  
Dwelling on what had gone wrong in her life wouldn't help either, she reminded herself, but maybe some time on the shooting range would. Guns and bullets were something she was able to control. Nothing ever changed about them; they were never inconsistent.  
  
When Calleigh finally got home that night, she went straight to bed and for a change she slept without having nightmares. The next day was about to bring changes, she knew that, but Calleigh was unaware of the impact the next day would have on her life and her future. 


	6. Dark Skies over Miami

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't intend to make any profit with this. CSI:Miami and its characters belong to the geniuses who created the show. Would that were me, though. "Nothing in the World" belongs to Atomic Kitten.  
  
Rating: PG-13, just to be safe  
  
Pairing: H/C  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews I received on the last chapters. They are very encouraging and always make my day a little brighter. Here is the sixth chapter and for my standards a very long one. Again, the forensic details are entirely made up. I have no clue if real-life CSIs would actually be able to solve a crime like that. Have fun reading. I am already working on the next chapter.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
The next morning Calleigh arrived early at CSI, hoping to talk to Horatio before everyone else got in. To her surprise he was not in his office. Usually, Horatio was the first to arrive at work in the morning and the last to leave his office at the end of the shift. When she didn't find him in the break-room or in any of the labs, she figured that maybe he had stayed home to take care of Ray jr.  
  
Wondering whether she should call him, Calleigh walked back into the break- room to make some coffee. While the machine was running, she stared out the window, lost in her thoughts. Today the sky over Miami was grey and overcast; the morning had been foggy and cold. This kind of weather was unusual for a Florida summer and the weather forecast had even predicted a thunderstorm for the early evening. Calleigh hated the cold. She had never been able to understand how people lived in places like Seattle or Portland where it rained constantly. She was by all means a southern girl at heart.  
  
The coffee was finally ready and Calleigh had just poured herself a cup, when Eric walked into the break-room.  
  
"Morning Calleigh! Have you seen Horatio?", he asked while getting a cup of coffee as well.  
  
Compared to Speed, Eric was usually the one who looked a lot more awake in the morning, but without a cup of coffee, there was no talking to either one of them. Apparently, it came with the job that you slowly became a caffeine addict.  
  
"No. I was looking for him myself, but he isn't here yet", Calleigh answered.  
  
"That's a first. Normally he's here before the rest of us gets out of bed."  
  
"And today was probably no exception", Speed announced as he walked in and headed straight for the coffee as well.  
  
Calleigh had to smile when she looked at him. This was the Tim Speedle she knew. He wore a shirt that needed to be ironed, worn-out jeans and his hair was unruly in a way which would be considered totally in style if he were ten years younger. To Calleigh though, these were the things that made Speed the person he was and he was one of the best CSIs she had ever met and an even better friend.  
  
"At least some things never change", she thought.  
  
"It seems there is a new development in the Martin case and Horatio left early to check on it. He called me twenty minutes ago, but didn't say what it was all about. We're supposed to meet him in the conference-room in fifteen minutes" , Speed continued.  
  
With a sigh Calleigh walked out of the break-room, telling Speed and Eric that she needed to pick up some paperwork in the ballistics lab, before this morning's meeting.  
  
Silently she wondered if she would ever get the chance to talk to Horatio. It seemed that each time she tried, there was something that kept them from having this conversation. Still, sooner or later, she would have to talk to him about her plans. Calleigh was tired of playing games of flirting with Horatio, knowing that this way, none of them would ever cross the professional boundaries of their relationship. She needed to move on, be it with him or without him. It was time they both made a decision.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
When Calleigh walked into the conference-room ten minutes later, Horatio, Eric, Tim and Alexx were already seated around the table, going through the results of the trace evidence analysis. Quickly she took the chair next to Alexx and said "Good Morning" to both her and Horatio, who looked up from what he had been reading when he heard the sound of her voice. He seemed to be somewhat tired, Calleigh noticed, but she also saw in his eyes that he was sorry for not having been able to talk to her yesterday. He didn't have to say it, she just knew. Verbal communication was barely necessary between the two of them. She smiled at him and handed over the final ballistic report on the Martin case.  
  
Horatio finished reading the last page, straightened up in his chair and looked at his team.  
  
"This morning, I found Alexx' final autopsy report on Chris and Jamie Martin on my desk", he began. "Jamie Martin was two months pregnant at the time she died."  
  
Horatio let the sentence hang in the air for a moment to let it sink in, but that wasn't necessary. He had everybody's undivided attention.  
  
"It is however impossible that Chris Martin is the father of the baby. His medical records indicate that he has been sterilised. I talked to his doctor this morning who confirmed that the surgery had been performed about two years ago. He said that the Martins never wanted to have kids."  
  
For a few seconds everyone in the room was silent while the first pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.  
  
Then, Speed said out loud what they were all thinking. "This gives us a possible motive for the murder then. Maybe Jamie Martin had an affair, but refused to leave her husband. The guy decides to take matters into his own hands and ends up killing them both. There is the possibility that he didn't even know she was pregnant."  
  
"Exactly", confirmed Horatio, when Speed had finished. "We are going to run a DNA-comparison to see if we can get a match. The chances are slim, but maybe we are lucky this time, since neither trace nor ballistic evidence turned up anything suspicious."  
  
He turned towards Tim and then looked at Calleigh and Eric.  
  
"Speed, you will run the DNA-tests with me here at CSI. Eric, Calleigh. I want you to talk to the neighbors again to find out if they noticed anyone visiting Jamie Martin when her husband was away. Let's find the guy who did this."  
  
Having received their assignments they got up from their chairs and started leaving the room one by one.  
  
Calleigh was almost at the door when Horatio called her back.  
  
Alexx who was the last to leave, quietly closed the door behind her, wondering what it was exactly that Horatio and Calleigh needed to dicuss and whether it had anything to do with the things that so obviously weighed on Calleigh's mind. Alexx had worked long enough with both of them to know that there was something that troubled the two, especially Calleigh. Lately, they had acted very differently around each other. Hoping that they would be able to talk it through, Alexx walked down the hall towards the morgue, leaving the two CSIs to sort out their problems.  
  
In the conference-room Calleigh sat back down on a chair opposite Horatio. She looked at him for a second and then said:  
  
"Horatio, you don't have to be sorry that you weren't able to be here yesterday. It was a family emergency and naturally your first priority. I hope your nephew is doing better."  
  
"He is doing fine and enjoys all the attention he is getting." Horatio said with a smile before he continued, this time more seriously. "It just seemed really important to you. I hope it wasn't a problem."  
  
Horatio met Calleigh's gaze directly and their eyes locked. For a moment neither of them spoke. Then Calleigh cast her eyes down, breaking the connection.  
  
This wasn't the time to talk about such important decisions, she told herself. After all, they were in the middle of a case and had the chance of solving it quickly to bring justice to the victims and closure to their families. Again, personal matters would have to wait. Still, Calleigh made a promise to herself to bring it up as soon as the case was over. Horatio needed to know how important it really was to her.  
  
"Listen", she finally said. "We can talk when the case is over. It's really nothing urgent. Finding out who did this is our first priority".  
  
"Hopefully it will be over qickly", he said.  
  
"Yes, hopefully it will be. I'm going to go find Eric. We'll be back as soon as possible". And with that Calleigh walked out of the conference room.  
  
Horatio watched her leave. When she was out of sight, he finally got up, finding himself looking at the door through which she had disappeared.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Three hours later Calleigh and Eric were on their way back to headquarters. Their pagers had gone off at the same time, citing them back to CSI immediately.  
  
Driving through Miami downtown traffic, Calleigh stared out the window at the city she had called home for so long. She had been happy here all those years and she wasn't sure if she was willing to let it all go. She didn't want to leave Miami, but it seemed that she didn't have a choice.  
  
The weather hadn't changed since the early morning hours. It was still cold and a strong wind swept over the city; a harbinger of the storm that was supposed to hit Miami that evening.  
  
Calleigh and Eric had just entered the CSI reception area when Speed came walking down the hall, waving some papers through the air.  
  
"This is the break-through we have waited for. Horatio's office in five minutes.", he told them.  
  
"Well, I wonder what they've found." Calleigh said to Eric. "Listen. I am going to grab a sweater from my locker. This weather is doing nothing for me. I'll see you in Horatio's office.  
  
"Fine. Don't be late.", he called after her.  
  
"I wouldn't dare to.", she said in mock surprise, smiling, but when she turned around her smile was gone. Calleigh couldn't bear the thought of having to leave Miami and the people at CSI who had grown to be her family. Would she really have to go through with moving to Houston?  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
A few minutes later, the whole team met in Horatio's office.  
  
Calleigh and Eric were curious to hear about the break-through in the case, but what Speed and Horatio had to tell them about the results of the DNA-comparison, was something that nobody had expected.  
  
"When we compared the DNA of the fetus to other samples we had in the database, we didn't get an exact match at first, but then a partial match turned up: to none other than Chris Martin.", Speed said.  
  
"But we determined that it is impossible for him to be the father of the child.", Eric stated the obvious.  
  
Horatio who had been looking out of the window the entire time turned around and provided the much needed explanation.  
  
"A detailed DNA-test confirmed that Chris Martin really isn't the father, there are too many differences in the genetic make-up. But there are also a few striking similarities." Horatio waited a moment an then continued. "Chris Martin has a younger brother, Dave. He is being brought in for questioning as we speak."  
  
"The only explanation for results like this is that the father is a close relative of Chris Martin.", Speed finished for Horatio.  
  
More puzzle pieces fell into place.  
  
Calleigh could sense that Horatio was determined to solve this case before the day-shift was over. He wouldn't quit tonight before he had tied the suspect to the crime and had proven that he was guilty. The way he spoke and acted was different than usual; he was totally focused on what had to be done and full of determination. Horatio was taken in by the case.  
  
Everyone waited for Horatio to speak. Startled by the sudden silence in the room, he finally turned and walked over to his desk to pick up a sheet of paper and handed it to Calleigh.  
  
"Drive over to Dave Martin's house and look for a gun that you can match to the bullets. Speed, I want consistent proof that this guy is the father of the dead baby. Eric go through the trace evidence one more time. See if we can tie him to the crime scene with fingerprints or fibers. I want this guy behing bars by the end of the shift!"  
  
Without any further discussion they all left Horatio's office and started working on their respective tasks, driven by the knowledge that once they were done, the killer would never to harm anyone again. In some way, they were all idealists, hoping to make the world a slightly safer place and that was why they put their entire energy into their jobs each and every day.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
After a few hours Eric knocked on the door of Horatio's office to tell him what he had found out. Dave Martin's fingerprints had turned up on various surfaces in the house, including the doors and the dining room table. They were all relatively fresh, thus proving that Dave Martin had been to his brother's house very recently.  
  
"Excellent work. Thanks Eric. Have you seen Calleigh?" Horatio asked when Eric had finished.  
  
"No, I haven't seen her around and she isn't in ballistics either. Have you tried her cell phone?"  
  
Outside, the wind had picked up force, lightning was flashing in the sky and raindrops were beating hard against the window. The storm had finally reached Miami.  
  
"She isn't answering.", Horatio said sounding worried and avoiding Eric's gaze.  
  
Half an hour later, Calleigh still hadn't returned to CSI. 


	7. Caught in Emotions

Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't intend to make any profit with this. CSI:Miami and its characters belong to the geniuses who created the show. Would that were me, though. "Nothing in the World" belongs to Atomic Kitten.  
  
Rating: PG-13, just to be safe  
  
Pairing: H/C  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
A/N: It's miracle! I updated. Sorry, it took me so long. Please don't hate me for the cliffhanger, but it really didn't work out any other way. I am going on vacation for a few weeks, but I will definitely try to write and I will try to update the story once or twice as well. Please continue sending review. I am always looking forward to reading them.  
  
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_"Watching everything around us disappear..."_  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Quickly they had searched the entire CSI-building, but Calleigh was nowhere to be found; she remained missing. Her car wasn't in the garage, she hadn't left any messages and she still wasn't answering her cell phone.  
  
The whole team was now waiting in the building's lobby, staring at their cell phones, mentally willing them to ring, but not a sound broke the silence. The only noise was the raging storm outside.  
  
Horatio was the last to join his colleagues. He had double checked the shooting range and the fire-arms depot, but like before there had been no sign of the bulletgirl.  
  
Now he was trying to hide his own fears, trying to create a reassuring presence for his team, but as he found himself avoiding eye-contact while giving out instructions, he knew that Calleigh's disappearance affected him on a deeper level than he had thought possible. He now admitted to himself that Calleigh was not only a part of the CSI-family and a friend, she was the one person he would trust with his life.  
  
Horatio knew that they all wanted to find Calleigh as soon as possible. The CSI-team shared a common bond; they were closer to each other than many blood-relatives.  
  
"Eric, go to her apartment and see if she's there. Alexx, call the hospitals and check if anyone matching her description has been admitted. Speed, get a hold of Detective Hagen. Maybe she went to see him for some reason. I'll backtrack the way she took to the suspect's house. Keep me updated!"  
  
As the all started to leave, Horatio added:  
  
"We'll find her!"  
  
His voice carried a certain amount of conviction, but at this point it couldn't betray the fear he felt that something had happened to Calleigh.  
  
Eric, Speed and Alexx nodded solemly. They hoped and prayed that he would be right.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Horatio could barely keep himself from sprinting to his Hummer. Quickly he walked down to the garage, but as fast as he walked, his feet weren't able to keep up with his mind. Thoughts and emotions were running through his head and they were all connected to one person: Calleigh.  
  
He felt responsible for her diappearance, he had sent her out to the suspect's house, knowing that the storm was about to hit Miami. His blind determination to solve the case had put Calleigh in danger. Cursing himself for having her go alone, but most of all for not listening to her when she had needed him to. All of a sudden the thought struck him that now it might be too late, but he didn't allow the scenario to play out to the end.  
  
Finally he reached the Hummer and got in. As he sped out of the garage he vowed that they would find her. Still, the cold hand of fear that had gripped his heart only loosened slightly. He had never been consumed by a case to the extend that he had put the life of one of his CSIs on the line. And he had been so distracted that he had not been there for Calleigh. Of course he had noticed that there was something wrong with her, even though she was trying to hide it. She was a good actress, but she couldn't fool Horatio. Calleigh was one of the people who knew him best and he knew her just as well in return. She brightened his days, made him laugh and allowed him to catch a glimpse of the happines and content that he felt were missing in his life. There was a connection between the two that ran deeper than friendship; a connection that could fill the entire room with an almost palpable energy. They flirted and sometimes Horatio had wondered if things could progress further than that, but being afraid of rejection, he had never taken the first step. Then Hagen had stepped on the scene and Horatio had given up hope. Still, Calleigh remained special to him. She was the woman he would always love.  
  
Horatio was now driving through a deserted Miami. It was pitch black outside, the stars and the moon were all hidden behind a thick layer of dark clouds. A curtain of pouring rain fell from the sky, making it almost impossible to drive. Horatio could barely see what was ten feet in front of him; his headlights seemed be be swallowed by the rain. He was glad that nobody else was out on the streets.  
  
In rapid succession his cell phone rang three times. Neither Eric, Speed nor Alexx had been able to track down Calleigh. There wasn't so much as a trace of her.  
  
When Horatio hung up after the last call, the cold grip of fear tightened again. What little hope they had all clung to was now gone. Still, he kept on driving, determined to find her.  
  
Finally, he reached the small road leading to the suspect's house a couple of miles outside of Miami's city limits. He made a sharp turn and headed towards the few single family bungalows barely visible about a mile down the road. All of a sudden, he slammed his foot on the brake and the Hummer came to a screeching halt on the wet road. Just in time, lightning had illuminated a tree that had fallen across the road. In the headlights of the Hummer Horatio was able to make out the reflection of light on a metallic green material. Inching closer, he realized in shock that that he had found what he had been looking for. It was Calleigh's car that had crashed into the tree. Without a second thought, Horatio jumped out of the Hummer and sprinted towards the car.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Drifting in and out of consciousness, Calleigh was blinded by the headlights of a big vehicle. She wasn't able to hear the engine; the noise was drowned out by the wind that hit her full force through the broken windshield and the deafening thunder that seemed to come closer with each minute that passed. When she tried to move, the pain in her right knee and ribcage intensified and everything went black for a moment before she was hit by yet another wave of pain radiating from her forehead. Tears started to stream down her face and mixed with the rain that soaked her hair and clothing. Then, in the distance, there seemed to appear the silhouette of someone moving closer, but to Calleigh it was nothing more than a hallucination resulting from the pain. She closed her eyes and drifted back into unconsciousness again.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Reaching the fallen tree, Horatio climbed over it as fast as possile driven by the fear that he might have found her too late. He pushed back the branches, ignoring the splinters that scratched his hands and face.  
  
On the other side, he could now clearly see what had happened to Calleigh. In an attempt to get around the tree, she must have steered the car to the side of the road. At that point she must have lost control on the wet pavement and the car had crashed into the tree, narrowly missing the ditch.  
  
For a second he stood in the pouring rain frozen in shock as he took a first look at the remains of the car. Calleigh was still belted into the driver's seat. She was soaking wet and blood had seeped from a wound on her forehead and cuts on her hands and arms. He wasn't able to see any more injuries, but he knew that her condition was probably worse than it seemed. Years of experience working accidents like this one had taught him that most of the victims suffered from dangerous internal injuries, usually the cause of death.  
  
Without success Horatio tried to open the door on the driver's side, but it didn't budge an inch.  
  
All of a sudden Calleigh shifted in the seat and a cry of pain escaped her lips.  
  
Hporatio rushed to the other side of the car, relieved that she was still alive, but at the same time worried that he might not be able to help her. This time, the door opened. He climbed inside and tried to free Calleigh from her seatbelt.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
When she opened her eyes for the second time, Calleigh saw Horatio bending over her. She had known that he would find her eventually. Now she felt safe, no matter what happened, she would trust Horatio with her life. Swept away by all kinds of emotions: love, fear, helplessness and pride, Calleigh didn't know whether to smile or cry. Pain still seared thorugh her whole body, but she fought back the tears. Pulling all her strength together, she slightly turned her head.  
  
"Horatio. I am fine."  
  
She didn't give him a chance to answer, but instead she moved sideways, trying to work her way out of the car wreck.  
  
Seconds later she was overwhelmed by the pain the sudden movement had caused her. She tried her best to remain conscious, but the pain proved to be too strong. Locking her eyes on Horatio, she lost her grip on consciousness yet another time.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Finally Horatio managed to free Calleigh of her seatbelt. He could only shake his head at the stubbornness of this woman. Trying to get out of the car on her own was typically Cal. Unfortunately, he now saw his fears confirmed that she really did have internal injuries and if not that, at least some broken ribs. She needed to be taken to the hospital.  
  
Slowly he eased her out of the driver's seat and picked her up to carry her over to the Hummer. He was surprised by how light she felt in his arms. He laid her gently down in the back of the vehicle in a stable lateral position. Then he climbed into the Hummer as well, pulled out his cell phone and called for an ambulance.  
  
Horatio covered Calleigh with a blanket and pulled her closer to him. The storm outside had died down a little, but it was still raining. He lost all sense of time as he held Calleigh in his arms thinking and waiting for the ambulance.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_To Be Continued..._


End file.
